Traction-engine.



, PATENTED MAR; a, 1903 BUT. GIBBONS. TRACTION ENGINE.

N0 MODEL.

APPLIOATION PILEDAUG. 29, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

VVITN% [INVENTOR Attorney PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET a.

1V0 MQDEL.

WITNESSES- BENJAMIN TRUMAN GIBBONS, OF BUFFALO, NORTH DAKOTA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,096, dated March 3,1903.

Application filed August 29, I902. Serial No. 121,502. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN TRUMAN GIB- BONS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Cass and State of NorthDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTraction-Engines; andI do declare the following to bea full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to traction-engines, and particularly to meansfor propelling the same.

The invention has for its object to provide a chain or cable way fixedat its opposite ends and engaged with the driving mechanism of theengine.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the vehicle; Fig. 2, an elevationof the front truck; Fig. 3, a detail elevation of a driving connection.Fig. 4 is a detail of the chainengaging means. Fig. 5 is a detail of theguide-sleeve, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on line 10 10 of Fig.1.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

The frame of the vehicle is composed of the side bars A B and end bars 0D, while the main traction-wheels F G are mounted upon a shaft I,journaled in the frame. Beneath the end bar 0 a truck Ct is pivoted andpro-v vided with wheels E E. The shaft P is provided with a pinion P,which meshes with a gear 0, loosely mounted upon the countershaft o by asleeve 0, provided at opposite ends with the clutch members 0' and 0 andis adapted to be shifted by the lever q. Secured to the shafto' is apinion I, meshing with a pinion II on the shaft h. A beveledpinion-wheel 71 is mounted on and rotates with the shaft h and is inmesh with a gearwheel 7L3, which is mounted on and rotates with theshaft 71. of the motor H Said motor may be of any type and is adapted tobe mounted upon the frame of the apparatus, as illustrated. The shaft'ihas also loosely mounted thereon a chain-wheel K by means of a sleeve7t, which is provided next the sleeve 0 with a clutch member j to engagethe clutch 0 This sleeve may be shifted by a lever q to drive thechain-wheel instead of the traction-wheels F G.

Over the chain-wheel K the fixed chain L passes, and the links thereofare engaged by teeth K, carried by the wheel, (see Fig. 4,) while thechain is lifted from the wheel by the roller N, having cross-bars N tohold the chain and lift it from the teeth K. This roller is rotated by adriving-chain 11, extending from a sprocket f on the sleeve to asprocket g on the roller-shaft. (See Fig. 6.)

The chain L may be fixed at its opposite ends by anchors (not shown) orother suitable means, with enough slack to permit its passage over andthrough the engine. At the front of the engine the chain passes over aguide-pulley L, thence over a bearing-roller m, and through aguide-sleeve M, by which it is turned so that the alternate linksthereof lie in plane to engage the teeth K. The opening in the sleeve isshown in detail by Fig. 5. After passing the wheel and lifting-rollerthe chain passes over pulleys r and s, set at a right angle to eachother, and thence extends laterally to a roller t and a right-angleroller o, carried by an extension-pole V, which is also braced by abrace V at the outer end thereof. The chain is thus laid in properposition for each succeeding draft across the land.

When the engine is used in plowing with a narrow gang of plows, thewheel G is liable to be thrown into the furrow, and to prevent this thatwheel may be removed and attached to the stub-shaft W, which is mountedin a slotted way X, so as to be raised and lowered as desired. The shaftW is provided with a sprocket Z, connected by a chain Z with a sprocketY, carried by the shaft of the roller W.

. This invention is particularly adapted for use of traction-engines infieldwork where the ground is inadequate to furnish a hold for thetraction-wheels of a light engine, and I am enabled by my constructionto lessen the weight of the engine by using a fixed chain to be engagedby the moving parts of the engine.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and configuration without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is- 1. In a traction-engine, a motor thereon, asprocket-wheel geared to said motor, a chain fixed at its opposite endand passing over said sprocket, traction wheels for said engine, gearingtherefrom to a motor, and means for shifting the driving power from thesprocketwheel to the traction-wheel, substantially as specified.

2. In a traction-engine, a chain fixed at its opposite ends, means uponsaid engine for engaging said chain to drive the engine, alaterally-extending arm at one end of said engine, and means carried bysaid arm to deflect said chain into a plane parallel to its plane ofpassage through the engine, substantially as specified.

3. In a traction-engine, a chain fixed at its opposite end, a drivensprocket upon said end to engage the chain, and a lifting-rollerdisposed at one side of the sprocket to raise the chain therefrom,substantially as specified.

4. In a traction-engine, a chain fixed at its opposite ends, a drivenwheel for engaging said chain, and a guide at one side of said wheel forturning the chain into position to engage the wheel, substantially asspecified.

5. In a traction -engine, traction-wheels thereon, one of which isremovable, a stubshaft at the rear of the main shaft to which saidremovable wheel may be applied, and a gearing between the main shaft andstubshaft, substantially as specified.

6. In a traction-engine, a frame, tractionwheels mounted thereon, acountershaft geared to the main shaft of the traction-wheel, adriving-shaft geared to said counter-shaft, a sprocket-Wheel looselymounted upon said counter-shaft, clutch mechanism carried by saidsprocket-wheel for engaging the same with the gear upon thecounter-shaft, a lifting-roller at one end of said sprocket, a guide atthe opposite sides thereof, bearing-rollers disposed in alinement withsaid sprocket- Wheel, a chain fixed at its opposite ends and extendingover said sprocket-wheel, and a gearing from said sprocket-wheel to saidlifting-roller, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

BENJAMIN TRUMAN GIBBONS.

Witnesses:

ANDREW J ESPERSEN, G. A. SToLTz.

